By Renee Pottle

Does your wallet seem to get smaller with each visit to the grocery store? Salary increases are not keeping up with rising food prices, but we still have to eat! Keep your family well fed with these 5 tips and stop the shrinking wallet syndrome.

Worldwide food shortages. A weak U.S. dollar. Corn feeding our gas tank instead of our beef cattle. The results are hitting our wallets with a vengeance. Overall food prices increased nearly 5% in 2007, and it looks like 2008 will have a similar increase. Already this year egg prices have increased 25%, dairy products have risen 13% and poultry prices are up 7%. Experts agree we won't see prices dropping soon. So with everything increasing except your salary, how can you feed your family without going broke?

1. Save Money by Spending It: It seems counter-intuitive, but purchasing quality (and often more expensive) foods like all-natural or organic whole grain breads, bean and lentils dishes, and fresh fruits and vegetables will save you money. Quality artisan and local foods are full of healthy fiber and nutrients and will fill you up quicker than cheaper processed foods. A full belly leads to less money spent overall and better health - all by choosing high quality foods. Shop specialty foods, gourmet stores, and farmer's markets for local or artisan produced foods.
   
2. Learn to Cook: Take a class, buy a basic cookbook, attend cooking demonstrations, get together with your friends and hire an expert. Now is the time to learn to cook. If the proliferation of celebrity cooks and cooking shows has somehow led you to believe that you need to be a chef to fix dinner forget it. If you can boil water you can prepare a nutritious, delicious meal that your family will eat. A meal that will be healthier than your usual take-out fare. A bonus- cooking at home will save you thousands of dollars each year over eating out. There's no down side, healthier food, healthier family, and money saving. Learn to cook today.
   
3. Eat Less: The time has come. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, a condition that costs every one of us in increased medical costs. We eat too much. We eat on the run, in our cars, mindlessly in front of the TV. Slow down, sit down with your family (to a meal you cooked) savor the actual flavors of the foods, and eat less than you currently do. You'll not only increase your life, you'll save money in the process.
   
4. Keep Treats to a Minimum: When the most commonly ingested vegetable for a two year old is French fries, you know we have a problem. A recent study done in the United Kingdom shows that most children don't consider potato chips a treat. So skip the soda, the chips, fries, candy bars, ice cream, and lattes. Eat out less often. Use treats to celebrate a special event - like ice cream after the Little League game, chips and soda with Friday night (homemade) burgers. Make coffee at home and splurge on a latte once a week instead of every day to save nearly $1000 this year.
   
5. Write a Weekly Menu: Develop a grocery list from the menu and stick to it. Keep a well-stocked pantry. Dust off your cookbooks and choose 5 simple recipes each week. Planning a menu saves time every evening - no more wondering what to have for dinner or running to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient - and money at the grocery store - no more impulse purchases that end up in the garbage because you really didn't know what to do with the chayote squash that looked so good in the produce section. Not very good at menu planning? Start with a basic cookbook that includes suggested menus and a pantry list or subscribe to a recipe service like www.myonlinemeals.com.

You may not have any control over rising food prices, but you can stop them from shrinking your wallet. Start today. Tonight serve a simple, inexpensive but filling dish like Minestrone or Chili or burgers or a casserole; and feed your family without going broke.

Renee Pottle is a Family and Consumer Scientist and the author of several cookbooks including, I Want My Dinner Now! - Simple Meals for Busy Cooks. Contact her at: 509-531-9225 or mail to: info@winebarrelgourmet.com